


The Concert

by ElectricPool



Series: Musical Skeleton Theory [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Multi, music sans, reader has a feminine voice, sans is in a band
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-05-06 23:09:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5434295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectricPool/pseuds/ElectricPool
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sans gave you a flier the other day for a music festival. You didn't even know he had a musical bone in his body.<br/>You certainly didn't expect to get a crush on him, either.</p>
<p>Should probably read the first entry in the series to get a better understanding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Will post a suggested listening list as soon as possible!
> 
> Songs in order:  
> Thinkin Bout Lyin by Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy   
> Stop Believin by Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy   
> Theologians by Wilco   
> 40' by Franz Ferdinand   
> Cough Syrup by Young The Giant   
> Fly Me To The Moon (specifically the Rat Pack version, but any works)  
> Dream a Little Dream Of Me by Ella Fitzgerald

You glanced down at the flyer in your hand. The venue wasn’t more than a short walk from your apartment, thankfully, but it would still take a bit of time to get there.

It had surprised you when Sans asked you to come to his band’s concert. On your midnight walks around the complex, you often heard music coming from the brothers’ apartment, but it sounded more like a radio than anything. You’d also seen the long, thick case propped up in the entryway to Sans and Papyrus’s apartment many times. You weren't exactly sure what it could have been (any time you asked Sans dodged the question, almost embarrassed,) but you had some ideas. Still, it was nice of him to invite you.

“HUMAN!” Papyrus’s joyous shout shook you out of your reverie. “ARE YOU NOT EXCITED TO BE HEARING MY BROTHER PERFORM?” He certainly looked excited. He was practically bouncing as he walked, arms swinging back and forth to match his strides.

You blinked hard and took a couple quick steps to catch up with the tall skeleton. “Of course I'm excited, Paps. I'm just a bit… confused?” You shrugged, stuffing your hands into your jacket pockets. “I mean, I literally don't know what to expect from this. I didn't even know he was in a band til yesterday.”

“IT WAS RATHER SURPRISING WHEN HE INFORMED ME AS WELL,” Papyrus said, “BUT HE ASSURED ME THAT I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WOULD NEED NOT WORRY ABOUT SUCH ACTIVITIES.”

“C’mon, Paps, aren’t you just the slightest bit concerned?” you asked, brows furrowing. “I mean, he’s playing at such a big festival; what if he gets booed off the stage?” After the monsters had made their return from the underground, lots of people had done their best to avoid their new coworkers and neighbors. Xenophobia at its finest. This didn't deter the monsters. If anything, it gave them determination to work at relationships with the humans so that they would be more comfortable. The town had a fairly sizable population of monsters, but the festival was well known and had quite a few notable acts. It always drew in a crowd of people.

“MY BROTHER IS, I PRESUME, A SKILLED PERFORMER. THOUGH HE IS NOT AS GREAT AS ME, I AM SURE HE WILL PERFORM FANTASTICALLY,” Papyrus reassured you, giving your hair a light tousle.

“I'm probably worrying over nothing,” you agreed. You’d been worrying a lot more over your short skeleton friend lately. You had been spending more time with Papyrus and Sans since autumn rolled in; maybe you had just gotten close enough to the bone bros to worry more? Oh well.

At any rate, the walk had gone by rather quickly. You and Papyrus had reached the park, where the festival was being held. Different food trucks and band booths were scattered around the place, with the main event in the amphitheater. The seating was pleasantly crowded.

“Hey! Nerds! Over here!!!”

You jumped at the sound of Undyne’s voice. She and her girlfriend, Alphys, had come out of practically nowhere. Sans must have told them he was performing tonight as well.

“Jeez, Undyne, you scared the hell out of me,” you panted. “When did you two get here?”

“There was another group Undyne wanted to see before Sans went on,” Alphys told you. “I think his band is setting up right now?”

“LET US TAKE SEATS, THEN!” Papyrus interjected, rushing off to the seating area.

“He’s pretty excited to hear his brother play,” you said to Undyne and Alphys. “Wouldn't shut up about the concert at all today. Didn't even want to cook lunch, even when I said spaghetti sounded good. Just kept going on about how much he wanted it to be evening already.” The three of you made your way towards Papyrus, who had already saved you three spots.

“I was j-just surprised to find out Sans could play…” Alphys said quietly, glancing around at the growing crowd. “I mean, he never struck me as the k-kind of person willing to put effort into s-something musical?”

“Well, it's pretty damn cool if you ask me!” Undyne flashed a toothy grin as the three of you wove through monsters and humans alike to reach your seats.

You sat down next to Papyrus, with Undyne and Alphys on your right. Papyrus had scored some pretty good seats: not quite all the way at the front, but close enough to see the decal on the front of the drum set. It was quite the odd setup, and a pretty big group to boot. You recognized a few of the monsters setting up. There was the chipper bunny guy who drove the Nice Cream truck by your apartment complex every Wednesday tuning a string bass and checking a mic, the melancholy cashier from your favorite fast food chain (Craig? You were pretty sure that was his name.) restringing a five-string bass, and the bat guy (Xander, if you remembered correctly) from your geology class greasing up a trumpet and adjusting some small objects on a little table. Sans still wasn’t on stage. As for the other musicians, there were a couple dog monsters in armor checking their guitars (and a banjo, for the larger one) and another one you recognized from the bar sitting at the kit with a smoking dog biscuit hanging from his mouth. There was also a female mermaid esque monster at the keyboard, hiding her face as best as possible. You really hoped she didn’t freak out on stage. You knew what stage fright did to you, much less anyone else.

Aside from the dogs, they’d sort of coordinated outfits. The phrase “concert black” came to mind. The Nice Cream guy was wearing an adorable tux, the cashier was wearing a black leather jacket and ripped skinny jeans, Xander in a pair of slacks and one of his specially cut dress shirts, and the girl wearing a black headband.

“THEY SHOULD BE STARTING ANY MINUTE NOW!” Papyrus exclaimed, waving his hands excitedly.

“Wh-where’s Sans?” Alphys said, glancing around the stage. “I think he should be out by now?”

You nodded, but before you could reply-

“THERE HE IS!” Papyrus nearly shot off the bench with the amount of energy he displayed. Some of the people around you gave your group dirty looks.

“I’m excited too, Papyrus, but could you try to reign it in a little bit?” you asked, gently placing your hand on his shoulder. “I mean, it wouldn’t be very cool if we embarrassed Sans, you know?”

“IT IS A NEW VENTURE FOR HIM. VERY WELL! I WILL DO MY BEST TO HOLD BACK MY EXCITEMENT UNTIL HE IS FINISHED.” Papyrus settled back into his seat.

“Check, one, two, three,” the cashier grumbled into the mic as Sans dragged himself across the stage, a shiny- wait, was that a trombone? You squinted. And he was wearing a tux shirt instead of his usual jacket. He’d also traded the fuzzy slippers for black Vans. Classy.

Sans stood next to Xander and flipped a switch on the mic in front of him. You could have sworn you saw small beads of sweat roll down his face. Hoo boy. This was going to be rough, you could feel it.

“Okay, looks like we’re finally set up. Jeez.” The cashier rolled his eyes. “We’ve got a great set of covers to put on for you lot tonight, since someone on the rules committee decided that new entries couldn’t do their own material.” He glared at someone in front of you, who waved and blew an elegant kiss at him. He had a lot of nerve to say something like that on stage in front of the huge crowd. The audience ate it up, surprisingly. They were on the edges of their seat. Were you missing something?

“So, yeah. We’re the Depths of the Ocean, and we’re gonna play our asses off so you guys can throw it on Youtube.” The bassist nodded to the greater dog guitarist, who started off a slow, bluegrass rhythm with the string bassist joining in. How that dog played, you had no idea. [Song: Thinkin Bout Lyin, by Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy]

A bar or two later, Sans started to play. There was so much feeling in his playing, and you were immediately swept up into the music. The lesser dog joined in on banjo, and your bat friend playing on what looked like a washboard. The mermaid girl didn’t appear to be in on the song, nor was the drummer dog. Still, you thought the whole group was fantastic, but Sans was stealing the whole show, and all before the vocals came in.

Then the melancholy bassist began singing, just as Sans finished his solo. His voice was a little rough, probably from the cigarettes you’d seen him sneak while on his breaks, but it was a far cry from what you expected. This band was great, you admitted.

 

_"I've been thinkin’ bout lyin’_

_Goin downtown and tryin’_

_I've been thinkin’ bout slippin’ and slidin’_

_I've been thinkin’ bout lyin’.”_

 

You watched Sans closely, hoping he would raise the trombone back to his face. The skeleton was nodding in time to the music, with his eye sockets. He still looked nervous, but a lot more comfortable than before he’d started playing.

He had another solo just after the first chorus, and damn, was it better than the first one. Sans really got into the next one, throwing rips and growls out like no one’s business. He looked in his element, for those precious few seconds.

All too soon, the first song was over. The crowd erupted into applause and cheering, of which Undyne and Papyrus were the loudest. Alphys stuck to clapping. You were too busy in thought to do much of anything. Why would Sans have been embarrassed about playing? Did he think he wasn’t any good? He had played with soul and… you fished for a word. Determination? Like he was trying to say something, without words. It was beautiful.

You blushed a bit at that thought. Not that you would admit that.

“Thanks so much, everyone!” the bunny beamed as he grabbed his mic. “We’ve got plenty more to play, so just relax and have some fun!”

The audience cheered, this time with you joining in.

Papyrus was practically vibrating. “THAT WAS SO AMAZING!”

“Heh! Didn't think old Burgerpants had it in him, but he’s not half bad!” Undyne pumped her fist in the air.

“Since when was he Burgerpants?” you snorted. “I thought his name was Craig.”

“Guy shoved burgers down h-” The rest was drowned out by the crowd cheering once again. “-and that’s why we call him that! Kind of a snarky asshole,” she finished.

“Gotcha,” you said, still confused.

The next song [Stop Believin by Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy] went by just as fast as the last one. Sans got to play more than the last one, and there was a heartfelt banjo solo, but you wanted to hear more. The band’s passion was intoxicating, really. You hoped they had a cd you could buy.

You found yourself cheering after the end of the song. You usually avoided the festivals due to the crowds, but this was actually pretty fun.

“Okay, folks, time for something a little less depressing,” Craig said after the cheers died down. “Little less brassy, too, since our trumpet player has been dying to play his new set of toys.” Xander waved a tambourine meekly and got a few whoops from the audience. “But, hey, whatever. Here it is.” The cat monster covered the mic and said something unintelligible to the rest of the band. Sans seemed to get even whiter (was that even possible?) and set his trombone on a sort of squishy pike-like object. He then adjusted his microphone and clutched the stand nervously.

Was he… No, there was no way.

The drummer clicked them in, with the piano starting at a fairly slow pace. [Theologians by Wilco] The guitar and bass jumped in after four bars, as did Sans.

 

“ _Theologians_

_They don't know nothin_

_About my soul_

_About my soul_

 

_I'm an ocean_

_An abyss in motion_

_Slow motion_

_Slow motion”_

 

The crowd was cheering as soon as Sans started singing the first verse, with the girl on piano and the string bassist backing him up. You, however, were in too much shock.

You recognized that voice. You’d been out in the courtyard many a time since you'd moved in, and on occasion you'd hear a dark, rich voice coming from somewhere above you. You only ever joined in once, though… There was no way you could have known who exactly was singing, so why did it fluster you so much to find out it was Sans?

“____? A-are you okay?” Alphys asked through the noise, lightly tapping your shoulder to get your attention.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, just startled,” you responded, half in a daze. Alphys looked a bit worried, but took your word for it and turned back to the stage, where the band was definitely tearing it up into the second chorus.

 

_“They fill my heart with little things_

_And my life with change_

_Oh, in so many ways_

_I find more missing every day_

_Theologians”_

 

Sans had his eye sockets closed and everything. He was nodding his head to the the steady beat of the piano and gripping the mic stand tightly, but his shoulders looked relaxed compared to the last two songs.

Then, the band hit the bridge, and Sans’s eye sockets opened and flashed a bright blue.

“Holy shit!” Undyne gleefully exclaimed, throwing out a woop with the crowd. Papyrus was just as loud as her. Alphys just smiled as Undyne squeezed her hand in excitement. You did your best to focus on the band as a whole, but you felt yourself drawn into Sans’s singing.

 

_“I'm going away_

_Where will you look for me_

_Where I'm going you cannot come_

_And no one is ever gonna take my life from me_

_I lay it down, a ghost is born_

_A ghost is born, a ghost is born”_

 

As they hit the last verse, Sans went back to normal, and the song faded out with a little guitar solo. The crowd erupted into clapping.

“THIS IS QUITE THE ENTHUSIASTIC CROWD!” Papyrus practically vibrated. “THEY MUST THINK SANS IS PRETTY GREAT! ALMOST AS GREAT AS ME!” he said triumphantly.

You grinned at the tall skeleton and laughed, shaken out of your reverie. Your cheeks felt warm, though. Oops. “I'm glad, honestly. I was a bit worried they would be a lot more critical of an all monster band.”

“Mettaton’s on the selection committee for this festival this year, so it's been awesomely diverse,” Undyne said. “I was talking with Toriel the other day and she said even the shitty PTA moms were looking forward to it.”

“Oh, wow.” You remembered how one of your babysitting kids’ moms had reacted to the monsters when they came above ground a few years back. You'd had to cover her kid’s ears for a good ten minutes. “That's impressive.”

The next song the band played [40’ by Franz Ferdinand] was alright. You enjoyed the bass line, but wished Sans would sing or play again. He just stood there and nodded along with the beat, hands stuffed in his pockets.

The band’s fifth song really got the crowd going. [Cough Syrup by Young The Giant] You found yourself singing along with the final chorus, along with Undyne. The song ended very mellow, giving you a pleasant, calm vibe that you sorely needed after Sans’s singing had riled you up.

“Alright, folks, we got one last song for ya,” Craig said into the mic, taking one last drag from an e-cigarette. “Got a bit of a diff’rent ring to it than the other stuff we've done tonight, so, whatever.” He shrugged. “You'll probably like it no matter what.”

“It’s really jazzy!” the bunny on string bass piped up. “And it’s a classic too!”

“Yeah, it'll really put you over the moon,” Sans interrupted with a grin, sending those who’d figured out the song name into well natured groans.

“I still have no idea what they're going to play,” you frowned, crossing your arms. “What are they about to play?”

“It’s supposed to be a surprise!” Undyne grinned.

“Fine, don't tell me,” you said, rolling your eyes.  

“SANS SAID THE LAST SONG HE WAS IN WAS A VERY SPECIAL SONG TO HIM! BUT I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING THAT STANDS OUT THAT HE LISTENS TO,” Papyrus said. He didn't look too concerned, though.

You felt a bit nervous, though. You weren't sure why, but you felt like you were about to have a bad time.

The drummer played time for a few bars, then a quick note from the piano, and-

Oh, shit. You blanched, clenching your fists. You knew this song.

 

_“Fly me to the moon,_

_And let me play among the stars_

_Let me see what spring is like on_

_Jupiter and Mars_

_Oh, in other words_

_Hold my hand_

_In other words,_

_Darling kiss me”_

 

You’d stopped hearing it about a year after you moved in, but you'd be damned if it didn't have the same lonely pang that it had had then. Any time you'd heard that song sung by someone else, it held love, and hope, and joy.

Sans’s version was a far cry from happy if you really listened. It was more longing, more wistful, more… You couldn't put your finger on it, but you knew he was singing for someone in particular. You felt a twinge in your stomach, one you hadn't felt since before you moved here. Were you seriously jealous? For a walking, talking skeleton?

You shook your head and tried to get rid of your blush.

 

_“Fill my heart with song_

_And let me sing forever more_

_You are all I long for_

_All I worship and adore_

_Oh, in other words_

_Please be true_

_In other words_

_I love you”_

 

You wanted to know who he was so broken up over. You wanted to be there for him, to be able to hold him, comfort him, tell him-

“H-hey, _____, are you ready to go?” Alphys asked.

You blinked hard and looked around. Oh.

People were standing up, and the band was packing up. You'd zoned out again, and the band had finished up its set. Oops.

“Yeah, sorry. Zoned out again, I guess,” you half-laughed, standing up. You smoothed out your shirt. “Where are Undyne and Papyrus?”

“Ah, I think they went to go get food? O-or maybe just go ask the person in the Italian truck h-how they do their spaghetti.” Alphys paused and asked again. “I, uh, don't want to pry, but a-are you sure you're okay? You look kind of pale.” Alphys looked like she was sweating bullets with that question.

“No, no, it's just…” You ran a hand through your hair. “I just... “ You sighed frustratedly. “I don't honestly know anymore.” The two of you wandered out of the seating area and towards the stage steps.

“I-is it about Sans?” your reptilian friend asked nervously.

“...Alphys, are you sure you're not some sort of psychic?” You crossed your arms. “Yeah, I- I think so, yeah. Probably.”

Alphys nodded. “Can I make a suggestion?”

“Go right ahead.”

“M-maybe you should go talk to him? But only if you're comfortable with that,” she added hastily.

“I honestly don't think it'll be any good,” you started, when-

“hey kiddo, hey alphys. you guys like the show?”

Speak of the devil. You practically jumped. “Oh, Sans! You scared me.”

“I-it was a great show, Sans. _____ really liked it, too,” Alphys added, then looked in the direction of the food trucks. “I should probably c-check on them. I'll be back in a minute.” She hurried off towards Papyrus and Undyne, leaving you alone with Sans. That sneaky girl. You would have to have words with her later.

“so, you liked the show, huh?” Sans’s grin was pretty wide. “anything in particular that really rattled your bones?”

“Very punny, Sans,” you said, rolling your eyes. You were afraid to tell him, though, so you avoided that topic entirely. “But yeah, the whole thing was great. You guys definitely had a wide variety of music. Didn't know Craig could sing, either.”

“yeah, he’s pretty good. helps to be a bit more than just a bag of bones, you know?” His grin faltered a bit; did he know something you didn't? Did he think you knew something, or were you just getting seriously paranoid?

“Well, yours seem to vibrate well enough,” you managed, shoving your hands into the pockets of your jacket. “Crowd really liked it when you were performing.”

“it was pretty great, yeah,” he said. “though i was a bit nervous about getting up there.” He tried to go for his jacket pockets, but quickly realized he wasn’t wearing it.

“Well, you were pretty confident by the last one. Been awhile since I've heard it sung like that,” you said, then froze. You just went there, didn't you. Stupid asshole brain of yours, talking before thinking.

“oh yeah?” Sans was nearly sweating again. “who by?” Evidently his shorts didn't have pockets either, so he settled for crossing his arms. The gesture felt less annoyed and more ‘I'm freaking out and I don't know what to do with my hands’.

“I don't actually know,” you said, biting your lip. “Heard it wandering around a few nights, but I haven't in the past year or so.” Your hands squirmed in the pockets, so you pulled them out and settled for fidgeting with the hem of your shirt. How classy.

“‘bout how long have you lived here, ____?” Sans shifted subjects. Smooth, skeleton, smooth.

“Uh… god, it's gotta be around a year and a half, or so? Kinda hard to remember. I think I crashed on a couch somewhere before that, so the details are hazy.” Now, that was a bold faced lie. You knew perfectly well what had happened, whose couch you'd slept on- your old boss was a saint if you ever saw one, though the doorways in his house were huge. You just hated thinking about it, how lonely you felt, how betrayed-

“you doin okay there, kiddo? you're lookin a bit washed up,” Sans cautiously moved a bit closer towards you.

You raised a hand to feel the scalding tears on your cheek. “I just….” You felt the rolls of sobs start to build in your chest. Not good, not good at all. You took a shuddery breath.“I need to go home. I really, really need to go home.”

“want me to go grab papyrus?” Sans asked.

“N-no, he’s having fun,” you choked out, rubbing your hands on your jeans at an increasing rate.

“do you want me to take you back? i’m packed up already,” Sans nodded to the stage, where a new group was already setting up.

“Y-you don't have to,” you hiccuped. Even though you were friends with Sans, you weren't sure how comfortable you felt having a crying fit in front of him.

“i know a shortcut,” he added, looking away. “and, speaking from personal experience, it’s a lot better to have company than to be bonely in times like these.” He forced a chuckle, then held out his hand for you to take. “so…”

You were a bit hesitant, but you trusted him well enough to do this, and, after all, you were about five seconds from breaking down.

You saw a flash of blue, then suddenly you were back in the courtyard of the apartment complex. The sun had already set, and if you looked up, the stars were popping up here and there. You collapsed onto a nearby bench and pulled your legs in, taking deep, shuddering breaths.

Sans sat next to you. “do you, uh, want a hug, or something?” he asked, looking up at the sky.

You thought about it for a minute or so. Did you? You'd gotten plenty of bone-crushing hugs from Papyrus before, but that wasn't exactly what you needed.

Bone-crushing. Oh god, that was bad. Okay, moving on. You definitely, at the very least, had some sort of feelings for Sans, especially after finding out that the mystery singer had been him. Maybe a hug wouldn’t be bad. Or maybe you'd snot all over his shirt. Either way.

You finally nodded and untucked your knees. You scooted closer to Sans, who wrapped his bony arms around you. That sent you over the edge. You finally started to cry, hard waves of soaking tears rolling down your face. You buried your face into the crook of Sans’s neck and sobbed, gripping him tight. Startled, he let go for a second, then returned your tight hug. He feels like home, you noted as you cried. It was a nice feeling.

What felt like hours passed before you could stop crying. You finally let go of Sans and pulled away from him. “Thanks,” you said, still a bit hiccup-y. “I needed it, bad.”

“no prob, kiddo.” Sans sighed. “though i kinda needed that, too,” he mumbled, looking away.

“No kidding?” you said, rubbing your eyes. “Mr. ‘jokes for every occasion’ needed a hug?” You apologized quickly after seeing the hurt frown flash across his face. “Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean it like that. My b- an old friend of mine had depression, so…” You trailed off, rubbing your hands on your jeans.

“hey, like i said, no need to keep it all locked up. i’m all ears if you want to talk.” His grin looked genuine. “well, figuratively, anyways.”

“Are you supposed to be some sort of skeleton key for people’s feelings, then?” you joked back with a small laugh.

Sans laughed too. It was a nice laugh; rich and deep, not unlike his singing. You felt yourself blush again. “something like that, yeah.”

“Well…” You thought about telling him. You’d been great friends with his brother since you'd met the brothers, but he’d always come off as mysterious to you, so you stuck more with Papyrus than him. Still, he’d always been nice to you, and you would definitely say he was your friend. “It’s just… It's kind of rough for me to say, you know? I haven't exactly talked about it in a year and a half, so…” You trailed off, half expecting Sans to pry.

“i totally understand, kiddo.” Sans had a light dusting of blush across his cheekbones. “when the time comes, my door’s open.” He glanced in the direction of the concert venue. “you gonna be okay if i go check on papyrus?” he asked, getting up off the bench.

“Yeah, I'm probably just going to go clean up and go to bed,” you said, standing up.

“sounds like a riveting night.” Sans nodded. “see ya later, alligator.”

“After a while, crocodile,” you replied. You watched the shorter skeleton head in the direction of the amphitheater, with your face still warm.

You weren't quite sure what it was, but something came over you as Sans walked away, something that you couldn’t place with just words.

 

_“Stars shining bright above you_

_Night breezes seem to whisper I love you_

_Birds singing in the sycamore tree_

_Dream a little dream of me”_

 

You half expected an echo, but no one replied. You shrugged and headed up to your apartment to turn in for the night.

 

_“Sweet dreams til sunbeams find you_

_Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you_

_But in your dreams whatever they be_

_Dream a little dream of me”_

 

You hummed the rest to yourself as you changed into your pajamas and crawled into bed. As you drifted off to sleep, you thought you saw a flash of light blue by your bed. But, you were too tired to really care.

You woke abruptly sometime in the middle of the night. On your nightstand, there was a small, silver key on your nightstand that said “Roof”.

“What the hell…?” Guess you were making a trip to the roof tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: the Sinatra version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jgi1txjrKZk  
> The Torme version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOFIwO3e_cc  
> There are lots of other versions of the song, so if you've got plenty of time, go poke around Youtube and find your own favorite! (Mine is def Torme's.)

You did your best to wake up as you pulled on your robe. A few things struck you as odd. One, you couldn’t remember your dream; you nearly always remembered your dreams, and you weren't _that_ tired when you went to bed. Two, your bedroom door was locked. You never locked it. That would be a fire hazard. And three, the key that now resided in your robe’s pocket.

You knew for sure it hadn't been there this morning. There was no reason for anyone but the landlord to have a key to the roof, after all. 

“God, what time is it even?” you grumbled, checking your alarm clock. It flashed 00:00 over and over. “They really need to get that checked,” you sighed, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. This wasn't the first power flash they'd had since you moved in, though they were a lot less frequent now. You went ahead and pulled your cell off the charger and checked the time on it. 

“Great, two in the morning. Thank god I'm not scheduled tomorrow.” You put it in your other pocket and slipped into your slippers. Heh, slipped. 

You grabbed a glass of water from your kitchen to try to wake you up a bit. You debated splashing some over your face, but that probably wouldn't have been a good idea.

You did it anyways.

“Pppth.” You made silly noises as you rubbed your face dry on a dish towel. It helped dry the face faster, your boyfriend always told you. He always looked so silly when he did it.

You frowned, then put the glass in the sink. Not the smartest idea, there, but then again, nothing good ever happened after two am. 

Not that that was stopping you going to the roof. You just figured you were going to have a bad time. So, you went ahead and grabbed your keys off their hook by the door, and left your apartment.

“Okay, now, where is the door to the roof….” you mumbled, glancing around the hallway. You only ever visited the skelebros’ apartment, so you had no idea where it might be. Fortunately, it was only a three story apartment building, and you were on the top floor, so it had to be around here somewhere. You wandered up and down the hallways, peering around in your mostly awake state. “Here, door door door door doooor,” you said, clapping your hands three times in succession. It certainly  _ felt _ like you were going snipe hunting. “I better not get on the roof and find a box of raisins up there.”

You finally found a door off in the corner of the building marked “ROOF- DO NOT ENTER.” You considered just going back to sleep, but the key was burning a metaphorical hole in your pocket. You were still too curious for your own good. Sighing, you pulled the key out of your robe pocket and inserted it into the lock. You opened the door slowly, half expecting a foreboding gust of wind (or the aforementioned raisins) but instead you just got a plain old stairwell, and another door at the end of it. 

“I seriously need to lay off the detective novels,” you sighed, heart still racing. You entered the stairwell and shut the door behind you, taking the steps one at a time. You placed one hand on the wall for balance. When you reached the exit door, you paused. Your hand hovered over the knob. You felt your stomach curl up in knots.

“That key was there for a reason,” you muttered to yourself. “And you know it. It's not going to be like last time.” Hell, there probably wasn't anything up there. You took a deep breath and counted to ten.

You felt determined to find out why that key was in your room. You grasped the doorknob tight and gave it a sharp twist. The door swung inward, nearly clipping you in the process. You cautiously stepped out onto the roof and scanned for anyone.

“oh, hey there, ______. wasn’t expected you til morning.” Sans appeared out of nowhere, making you jump. 

“Sans, I swear to God,” you gasped, placing a hand on your chest. “Don't do that to me.”

“sorry,” he chuckled, “didn't realize you were still in dreamland.” Something was… off about him. His speech was just the slightest bit slurred, his grin was unnatural and his eye lights were fuzzy…

“You’re drunk.” It was less of a question and more of a concerned statement. You didn't even know monsters could get drunk. You stepped a bit closer to him. “Do I need to get you back downstairs?”

“what, so you can get to the bone zone?” Sans laughed. “have you been waiting to jump my bones all this time?” He swayed a big and frowned. “joke’s on you, pal. i don't do the whole shtick anymore. not worth it.” He tried to step in towards you, but stumbled. 

“Sans, wha- Okay, why don’t we just sit down right here.” You were far more concerned about your friend’s safety than you were about the blush creeping across your face. You placed your hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him to sit down. “Since when did you drink, anyways?” You sat down across from him, criss cross applesauce style.

“why do humans drink in the first place?” Sans crossed his arms. “to forget, right?”

“Lots of people drink for fun, Sans.” You fiddled with the strap on your robe.

“well, i haven't in a long time,” he said, eyes going black. You tried to even your breathing. You couldn't just leave him on the roof, and he wasn't in any condition to go anywhere. You expected him to say something in conjunction, but he just stared off into space. 

“Sans-” You started to say something, but he cut you off.

“and you sure as hell haven't made it any better.” Oh. Okay. Note to self: Sans was angry when sloshed. Got it.

“What did I do?” you asked, keeping a neutral tone of voice. You kind of wanted to argue with him, but that just escalated the situation. You had plenty of experience dealing with pointless anger, didn’t you?

“whoooo, kid, what didn't you do?” Sans laughed, but instead of filling the air with happiness, this one sucked it right out of the air. That was not the laugh of a happy person. “not that the whole fuckin mess is your fault, but you're definitely a player in this game.” He paused, then rubbed at his eyes. “you know, you're pretty sneaky. didn't know you could sing.” Sans blinked hard a couple of times. “damn, looks like it's wearing off already. grillby, you sneaky bastard.” He laughed again and shook his head. “well, guess storytime’s over. see ya.” Sans made to stand up, but you grabbed his arm.

“You've got to be kidding me, right? You sit your bony butt down. You're not just going to bait me and insult me and walk away.” You could handle being insulted, but you thought Sans was better than that. “At least finish telling me off before leaving.”

Sans looked at you with an expression that terrified you. His eye flashed blue for a second, then his eyes returned to normal. “sorry, _____,” he said, not willing to look you in the eye, “but it's been a long round, and i’ve been waiting too long for the other player to make their move.” He sat back down, though it was clear he would rather be anywhere but on the roof.

“Yeah, well, that's no excuse to go off on me, Sans. Did you wake me up, too?” Yeah, screw being calm, you were annoyed and a bit upset. It was one thing to be upset at another person; it was an entirely different thing to disregard someone’s privacy and  _ then _ be rude to them. And you valued the sanctity of your bedroom. The last time it had been violated… well, you didn't want to think about that now.

“....” Sans looked away. “i did what needed to be done.” 

“Look, I've dealt with some horrible people before, and they feed me the same line you just did to justify something they don't believe in.” Your nails dug into your palms. Deep breaths. In, out. In, out. “And… And I know you’re not a horrible person. So, tell me, what the hell is going on?” You steadied your breathing again and laid your hands face-down on your legs. “What’s going on, Sans?”  you repeated, still shaky.

“... damn, didn't think i’d get this far in the first place,” Sans smiled sadly, shaking his skull. You frowned, but let him continue. “might as well throw the baby out with the bathwater, then.”

“You’re stalling, Sans.”

“well, maybe i’m russian.” His joke fell flat with your raised eyebrow. “okay, getting on with it.” He raised his hands in defence, then launched into something that could have come from one of your dad’s science fiction games.

“well, as you know, monsters have been above ground for a while now, thanks to the ambassador.”

“Right, that's common knowledge-”

“in this timeline, that is.” 

You blinked. “I'm just gonna process this as we go along, because if we wait we're going to be here for a week.”

Sans shrugged. “fair enough. anyways, like i said, this timeline is the only one where frisk has allowed us to go on this long. every other one, reset. some ended after a few precious months on the surface. some ended in everyone- myself included, dead. others, only some dead, or only one.” He raised a hand to his ribcage. “fortunately for me, i get to remember every single second, every reset. and it sucks like a fucking dyson vacuum.”  Sans looked sweaty again, his eye starting to glow a light blue. “everybody loves frisk. they've made my life a living hell  _ and they know it _ . in times past, they've reveled in it. and they've been holding a reset over my head for years.” Sans stopped and took in a deep, shuddery breath. “hell, you've seen groundhog day, kid. can’t exactly kill myself, though. not up here. they'd just bring me back at the next reset.” 

You rubbed your hands on your pajama pants. Not good enough friction to help, but the idea got across. “So, basically, you’re Bill Murray, and Frisk is the stupid camera guy?”

“more like frisk is the person who got me thrown in the loop in the first place.”

“And what have I got to do with any of this?” you finally asked. You still didn't know why Sans had freaked out so much earlier. Had you done something? You didn't think you had, but... 

“more than you know, _____.” Sans sighed and stood up. He offered you a bony hand to help you up, and you took it. “you’ve been one of the only constants in this game of cat and mouse i’ve been stuck in.” You both walked over to the edge of the roof. It was silent for a while as you both glanced over the empty courtyard. Then, Sans started again. “sometimes, it was only for a brief moment. only helping you move in. other times-” Sans started sweating again. You realized he was still holding your hand.

“Other times, what, Sans?” you asked quietly, rubbing your thumb across the back of his hand. 

“well, you remember what happened to charles. i don't think i need to go into detail if you came home on time that loop, well…” Sans paused.  “papyrus always asked why i went to your funeral. told him it was to support asgore, but.”

You blanched. You remembered Charles’ funeral. You remembered when you found him.

Bloodied, pistol in hand, brains scattered across the rug he’d bought you for your birthday… if only you'd been home on time, then it wouldn't have been your fault…

Deep breaths. You knew full well it wasn't. And, from what Sans had implied, you would have been right next to him anyways.

“sorry. i’ll, uh, stop if you want me to. i know i’ve been an asshole tonight, and i’m sure you’re bone-tired.” Sans squeezed your hand tightly. 

“N-no,” your voice quavered, vision blurry. “I-I’m not letting you weasel out of this, Sans. Not now.” You used your free hand to rub at your eyes. The robe was rough, but it definitely helped.

“suit yourself, kid.” Sans shrugged. “but yeah. we've never been on the surface for this long. i don't know how long it’s going to last, and it’s driving me insane.”

“Happens to the best of us, Sans.” You let go of his bony hand. “But that doesn't mean you can't make the most of it.” You took another deep breath and pulled your phone out of your pocket. “Looks like sunrise is in a few minutes.”

“always was my favorite time of day,” Sans chuckled. You both looked over the courtyard as the sun started its daily ascent, illuminating the trees and apartments in a reddish golden light.

Still, something weighed on your mind.

“Hey Sans?” you asked after a while.

“yeah?”

“Promise me something.”

“i can't make promises anymore, kiddo,” he started. “not when tomorrow never-”

“To hell with tomorrow,” you interrupted. “You're at the very least my friend, even after tonight, right? You can make me a lousy promise.” 

“you’ll always be my friend, ______,” Sans said softly. “one promise, but no promises i’ll be able to keep it up.”

You thought for a minute. There were a thousand things you could ask of him, and yet, you knew what had to be asked.

“Please don't drink anymore, okay?” 

Sans frowned in surprise, which quickly turned into a full grin.

“What? What did I say?” You crossed your arms and frowned.

“nothing on its own, kid, just… not exactly what i was expecting,” he said jovially.

“Well, what  _ were _ you expecting?” You cocked an eyebrow. “One of my best friends goes stumbling around drunk on a roof, hurls insults at me, then feeds me his sob story. Personally, that sounds like grounds for an AA meeting, but.”

Sans chuckled. “you’re a good kid, ______.”

“You’re really not going to tell me what you were thinking, are you?”

“something along the lines of blue moons,” he said cryptically. “well, i better be off. papyrus said he’d be bringing undyne over for breakfast, and i’d like to make sure there's something other than spaghetti.”

“That's fair,” you said, mind churning as he walked back towards the door to the rest of the building. Blue moons, blue moons… What did he- Oh!

“You’re quite the jazz fan, aren’t you, Sans?” you called to him. He stopped and turned to look at you. “I've always been a bit of a fan myself. My dad would play old jazz records on his days off. Charles always laughed at me for liking something so dated, but that's neither here nor there.” Your heart felt heavy as you mentioned Charles, but this wasn't about him. You started walking towards your bony friend as you talked. “Anyways, my dad and I would argue which versions of certain songs were better. See, he was always a diehard Sinatra fan, but I had a little more variety in my favorites.”

“i’m a dean martin fan myself,” Sans replied.

“Oh, definitely. But, there was one song that my dad and I could never see eye to eye on.” You stopped, only a few feet away now. “I never told you about my dad, did I?”

“you’re not one to talk about the past, kid,” Sans said, then added cheekily “who’s dodging the point now?” 

“Hold on, I'm almost there. There was one song that was my dad’s absolute favorite. He preferred the Sinatra version, because it was playing when he met my mother. I prefer the Tormè version, because it was the song playing on the radio when I met you and Papyrus.” You paused. “I suppose a sunrise is close enough for a moon turning to gold?”

Sans grinned. “so you figured out what I thought you were going to say?”

“Yes, and I must say, I'm a little surprised you didn't go with something of Louis Armstrong’s.”

You wrapped your arms around the skeleton and squeezed him tight. It took a moment, but Sans returned the hug. The two of you stood like that for a while, just enjoying each other’s company.

“Shit.” You blinked blearily and yawned. “I need to get some sleep.”

Sans broke the hug and put his hands on your shoulders. “you look pretty exhausted, kiddo. go on ahead. i still have something i need to do up here.”

“You sure?” You placed one hand on top of one of his. “I can stay up a bit more. I'm used to pulling a full 24 hours.” 

“positive. you look bone tired,” he said.

“You already used that one,” you laughed, pulling his hands off of your shoulders so you could hold them.

“did i?” Sans asked with a genuine grin. “guess i’m just not as punny as i used to be.” He sighed. “you really do need to sleep, _____.”

“Only if you promise to quit drinking liquor,” you said firmly.

“that’s a pretty good deal,” he replied, giving your hands a final good squeeze before letting them go. “plus, sleep is a good form of wait loss, so you won’t have long before you see me again.”

You made a face. “Fine, but I’m only going because of how awful that joke was. Have a good morning, Sans.” You smiled and opened the door to the top floor. As you walked down the hallway, you though you heard a voice coming from the roof, one that had given you comfort and hope so long ago.

 

_ “Blue moon, _

_ Now I’m no longer alone _

_ Without a dream in my heart _

_ Without a love of my own…” _

 

You stopped for a moment in the stairwell, then continued on. There would be plenty of time to tell Sans how lovely his voice was later. You would honor your end of the deal.   
And maybe there would be time for a little bit of mutual adoration later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No kisses, but they know, so it totally counts I swear.

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, that was a lot! I actually started writing this before On The Rooftop, but felt it fit better afterwards.


End file.
